Numerous network data unit handling schemes have been developed to improve the performance of capturing and forwarding data. For example, a forwarding device, such as a router or a switch, may be designed to minimize latency, jitter, and/or storage requirements. However, if a data unit is fragmented (e.g., due to a maximum transmission unit requirement) and transmitted through a network, a first fragment may contain forwarding information that may not be contained in other fragments of the same data unit. As a result, a forwarding device may wait before forwarding fragments of a first data unit until a first fragment of the first data unit is received. In this regard, a forwarding device may perform sub-optimally.